A Student of Yuan Chenyang?

The scarlet war chariots around them had already come to a stop. Fully armed Exploration Guards climbed down one after another, silently spreading into every corner of the camp, their scarlet individual combat armor covering them from head to toe.

"Tsk, Director Zhou's reputation truly precedes him." Yuan Chenyang was still standing nearby, speaking in a strangely sarcastic tone.

"Cough..." Zhou Xian coughed twice and glanced at the expressionless Zhang Hongbo.

Only then did Hu Xiang come to his senses. He hurriedly turned to Zhang Hongbo and respectfully asked, "City Lord, why are you here?"

Zhang Hongbo's tone was calm. "We received word that the Fortress Guards in Area A2 had gone missing. I was worried you might be in danger."

"The Fortress Guards are missing!" Hu Xiang's heart jolted, and realization dawned on him. "No wonder we were attacked twice in succession."

"You handled it well..." Zhang Hongbo looked at the pile of corpses in the distance, somewhat surprised. "An Azure-Scaled Lion pack? The leader should have been a second-rank mutant. Not only did you repel them, but you also inflicted such heavy casualties. Captain Hu, you've been hiding your strength well."

The others could not help looking toward the corpses piled up at one side of the camp. Yuan Chenyang and Zhou Xian's expressions both changed, concern surfacing on their faces.

Hu Xiang's heart stirred, and he said with a bitter smile, "City Lord, you have a sharp eye. That leader was indeed a second-rank mutant, but we have Southwind Academy's students to thank for these corpses, especially..."

"No need to be so modest." Zhang Hongbo waved him off, not taking it to heart. He knew perfectly well what those students were capable of.

Hu Xiang grew anxious. He had wanted Zhang Hongbo to become curious, then bring up Su Chen. That way, Zhou Xian would have a harder time making trouble later.

But who would have thought that this City Lord seemed to have no interest in the details at all?

"How are the casualties?" Yuan Chenyang could not help asking.

Hu Xiang said helplessly, "Twelve lightly injured, seven seriously injured... one dead."

"Sigh..." Zhang Hongbo sighed. "Make sure the family is properly compensated. They are all heroes of the City Patrol Guard."

"The one who died wasn't from the City Patrol Guard." Hu Xiang lowered his head, his throat working.

"Not from the City Patrol Guard? A student?" Zhang Hongbo's gaze sharpened, but then he shook his head and sighed. "This isn't your fault. No one could have expected the Fortress Guards to go missing."

"Which student died? I will personally visit the family to offer my condolences," he asked.

Only then did Hu Xiang slowly raise his head, his gaze passing over Zhang Hongbo.

Seeing Hu Xiang looking at him, Zhou Xian's heart skipped a beat. A bad feeling immediately rose within him.

"It was... Zhou Zong..." Hu Xiang struggled to say the name.

"What?!" Zhou Xian's pupils contracted. Blazing lightning burst from his body, thunder exploding above the camp and illuminating his twisted face.

"What did you say?!" He stared fixedly at Hu Xiang, his roar like rumbling thunder. "My son was only one step away from becoming a professional. He wasn't even an ordinary person. So many people inferior to him survived, yet he was the only one who died."

"Hu Xiang, did you do this on purpose?!"

As his words fell, the sky suddenly lit up. A streak of lightning, like an arrow fired by a god, tore through the mist and crashed toward Hu Xiang.

"Stop!"

Zhang Hongbo appeared beside Hu Xiang. With a mere raise of his hand, the lightning vanished into his palm without a trace.

"City Lord!" Zhou Xian roared. His hair flew wildly, and he looked like a crazed old lion, electric arcs surging in his eyes.

"I said, stop!" Zhang Hongbo's eyes remained utterly calm.

In the end, reason suppressed Zhou Xian. The electric arcs around him gradually faded, and he panted heavily like an old ox, his pupils bloodshot.

Once he had calmed down, Zhang Hongbo's tone softened as well. "There will be an explanation for this matter. But if you kill Hu Xiang, how is he supposed to explain anything?"

Rustling sounds came from all around them. People emerged from the tents one after another. The commotion earlier had awakened many, while some had never slept at all.

"P-President?!"

Some students burst into tears on the spot, as though they had found someone to rely on.

"It's all right now." Zhang Hongbo comforted them gently, while muffled sobs rose all around.

Zhou Xian's voice was hoarse. "Where is my son's body?"

Hu Xiang sighed even more deeply and pointed at a tent in the distance.

Zhang Hongbo secretly nodded. Hu Xiang had handled this part rather well, even arranging a separate tent for the body.

Zhou Xian walked in with a grief-stricken expression.

Yet he charged back out moments later, his face trembling as he glared furiously at Hu Xiang, teeth clenched. "Th-This... whose tent is this?!"

Yet deep in his eyes was a trace of panic, carefully concealed.

There were still many daily necessities inside. It was clearly not a tent prepared specifically for a corpse.

Zhang Hongbo looked at Hu Xiang, the corner of his eye twitching.

The students who had already emerged exchanged glances, communicating with their eyes.

"Mine." A clear voice rang out, and Zhou Xian's gaze instantly locked onto its source.

"It's you!!" Zhou Xian roared.

Su Chen's heart stirred. This guy actually knows me? Even if I had a minor conflict with his son, someone like him wouldn't necessarily pay attention to me.

Yuan Chenyang raised a brow. It was this kid. He vaguely remembered him.

He did not understand the situation, so he did not speak rashly. A corpse appearing in this kid's tent was strange enough already.

Sigh, if this is his tent, then whose tent did he come out of?

Wait!

Yuan Chenyang's eyes bulged as he saw Bai Fengxi emerge from the tent right behind Su Chen.

"Xiao Bai?!" His eyes widened, and his gaze toward Su Chen turned hostile.

"Teacher!"

Before Yuan Chenyang could finish his train of thought, he saw the kid look at him with a solemn expression.

Teacher? Who? Who was this kid's teacher?

Yuan Chenyang looked around. It seemed that only he remained.

This kid is trying to shift the blame onto me?

Yuan Chenyang was far too shrewd. He immediately saw through the kid's intentions, and what little goodwill he had felt toward him vanished without a trace.

He sneered inwardly. You might be able to fool Xiao Bai, but do you think you can fool me?

"Is he one of yours?!" Zhou Xian asked through suppressed fury, while Zhang Hongbo looked on suspiciously.

Yuan Chenyang had intended to reprimand him, but the words caught in his throat. The kid before him had taken out a thin "iron plate" that glimmered faintly, countless symbols flowing endlessly across it. Holding it before him, he said in a deep voice, "I have fulfilled my mission!"

Zhang Hongbo's gaze instantly deepened, while Zhou Xian's body stiffened.

"The Holy Word Stone!" Yuan Chenyang's expression changed drastically as he stared fixedly at the object in Su Chen's hands.

It was the item stolen from Southwind Academy—the Holy Word Stone, the item they had failed to find even after cutting that thief into pieces!

"Following your orders, I secretly investigated within the City Patrol Guard. I did not fail your trust, and I finally found this."

So this thing is called the Holy Word Stone? It doesn't look like a stone at all, Su Chen grumbled inwardly. His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Hu Xiang blinked, utterly dumbfounded. Did Qi Chuan know about this?

The other students felt dizzy. Su Chen was also Yuan Chenyang's student? No wonder, no wonder...

The words "Who is your teacher?" stuck in Yuan Chenyang's throat, impossible to utter.

The importance of this item to him was self-evident. With it, he would have an explanation for Ying Feng.

And what Su Chen had said was also very clever. It made Yuan Chenyang seem not like a man toyed with by a thief, but rather a prudent and experienced man who had noticed something was wrong long ago and laid plans across a vast distance.

The price was bearing Zhou Xian's fury.

He looked at the person before him, then past him at Bai Fengxi behind him. She gave an imperceptible nod.

"Good kid." Yuan Chenyang suddenly burst into laughter, stepped forward, and fiercely gripped Su Chen's shoulder. He said heavily, "Just as expected... of my student!"

Su Chen's mouth twitched. His bones felt like they were about to crack.

This kid's body... is impressive. He's already a professional? Yuan Chenyang was rather surprised.

"Not bad, Chenyang. Planning across such a vast distance—truly worthy of Southwind City's Director of the Inspection Department." Zhang Hongbo withdrew his gaze from the Holy Word Stone and praised him.

"What does this have to do with my son's body being in your tent?!" Zhou Xian said coldly. Yet everyone noticed that his fury seemed to have diminished considerably.

"Because this was found on Zhou Xian." Su Chen's voice was not loud, but it was like a thunderclap.

Yuan Chenyang, who was examining whether the item was genuine, abruptly raised his head and stared at Su Chen. The sharpness in his eyes nearly burst forth. "You must not talk nonsense about something like this."